S1/E11: Goshala next to Vali's cave - the adorable cow
At the goshala beside the entrance identified locally as Vali's cave, in the Kishkindha landscape near Hampi, Karnataka
Watch the S1/E11 field reel:
The cow walked directly toward us.
There was no hesitation and no alarm. She came close enough for me to rub her nose, accepted the attention calmly and then wandered back into the goshala.
That could have been the entire encounter. But she returned.
Completely unbothered. Completely trusting.
The first part of the reel is deliberately unhurried. The cow approaches at her own pace, closes the distance and allows the interaction to happen without being pulled or directed.
This is not a staged animal encounter. It is simply what happened while we stood inside the goshala in the Kishkindha landscape.
The trust is the story. In a place visited by caretakers, guides, devotees and travellers, this cow seemed entirely accustomed to people—and entirely free to decide whether to approach us.
Meanwhile, two young Nandis had other plans
As the camera moved away from the first interaction, two young bulls came into view. They were pressing their horns together, testing one another in the dusty enclosure.
In the reel we affectionately call them two young Nandis. The word carries its own cultural resonance: Nandi is Shiva's sacred bull and the familiar guardian facing the sanctum in Shiva temples across India. Here, however, the moment is immediate and playful—two young animals occupied with a contest of their own.
No narration is needed to manufacture drama. Their movement, the surrounding sounds and the camera finding them in the background tell the story.
And our friend came back
Near the end of the first continuous video, the cow returned. This time she came right up to the gate and pushed even closer to the camera.
The second approach changes the feeling of the encounter. The first could have been curiosity. Coming back made it feel like recognition—or at least a decision that we were worth visiting again.
We cannot know what the cow intended. What the camera preserves is simpler: she approached twice, calmly and voluntarily.
The Nandi who would not budge
Then there was the big Nandi beneath a tree.
I called him over. He did not move.
The natural audio stays in the reel because the humour depends on the real exchange: a human voice making the invitation and a large animal showing absolutely no interest in accepting it.
Some animals in Kishkindha come looking for you. Others have better things to do.
The goshala in the Kishkindha landscape
This is the same goshala featured in S1/E10, where fresh buttermilk was poured into a steel plate and served to us during the field visit. It stands beside the entrance to a place identified locally as Vali's cave, within the rocky Hampi–Anegundi landscape associated with Kishkindha.
We preserve that identification as it was shared with us locally. The goshala and surrounding landscape are directly visible; the association with Vali belongs to the living tradition carried at the site.
That is part of Nambikke: knowledge, memory and meaning that continue to live in a place without depending entirely on a written inscription.
Field note
The reel records ordinary animal behaviour rather than making a historical claim. “Young Nandis” and “the Nandi who wouldn't budge” are affectionate descriptions used in our field story. Visitors should move calmly around the cattle, follow the caretakers' instructions and ask before entering enclosures or touching animals.
Rishimukha Flashback Series
- S1/E1 — Jatayu, Rishimukha and Rama's Two Trails
- S1/E2 — Hanuman's Birthplace Has a Back Route
- S1/E3 — Kishkindha: The Monkey Kingdom
- S1/E4 — The Squirrels Still Chat at Kishkinda
- S1/E5 — The ASI Board and the Living Kingdom
- S1/E6 — Rishimukha: Two Geese Beside the Crossing
- S1/E7 — Inside Rishimukha: The Cave and the Swamiji
- S1/E8 — This Is Rishimukha. This Is Nambikke.
- S1/E9 — Hakka and Bukka Started the Vijayanagara Empire Here
- S1/E10 — The Best Kept Secret in Hampi
- S1/E11 — Goshala next to Vali's cave - the adorable cow ← you are here
Watch S1/E11 on Instagram and follow @timelenspodcast for the next field visit.
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